Vault-light construction.



7 W. L. CALDWELL.

VAULT LIGHT CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17. 1903.

PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

WILLIAM LEE CALDWELL, OF WHITESTONE, NEW YORK.

VAULT-LIGHT CONSTRUCTION.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,728, dated May 24,1904.

I Application filed December 17, 1903, Serial No. 185,490. III!) model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LEE CALD- WELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing structions, of which the following is a specificationnThepresent invention may be considered as an improvement upon thevault-lightconstruction covered in my Patent No. 741,010, grantedOctober 13, 1903. The main object attained by the vault-lightconstruction covered by said patent is the provision of a glass ofgreater strength and larger light area for a given weight and price ofglass than other previously-known forms.

The object of thepresent invention is to further improve the vault-lightconstruction on the same general principles as the construction setforth in said patent. have devised a vault-light glass of arch form witha plurality of depending prism portions of varying size and length andso arranged upon the under side of the glass as to reflect a greaterquantity of light. My new form of vault-light glasses are also providedwith integral tongues or shoulders upon their supporting base-flanges,which afford means for intimately locking the binding-cement and glassesto prevent lateral separation.

As in the original form of construction as set forth in said patent, thevault-light is built upon a suitable iron or steel framework. In thepresent case the framework is of pe culiar construction, consisting oflongitudinal steel bars and transverse spreader-bars of approximately U-shape cross-section passed through suitable openings formed in thelongitudinal bars and secured rigidly therein by soldering orgalvanizing. The channel of the U shaped spreader bars is presentedupwardly, the supporting-flanges of the glasses resting upon the edgesof the spreader-bars, and the binding material or cement completelyfills the channel of the spreaderbars, the openings through thelongitudinal supporting-bars, and embeds the supporting-flangesframework.

To this end I rial, as hereinafter explained. of the framework 1s suchas to form a series of the glasses to securelylock the parts to-f Inorder that my invention may be fully un-. derstood, I will firstdescribe the .same with reference to the accompanying drawings, and

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afterward point out the novelty thereof more particularly in the annexedclaims.

view showing the steel framework and parts of the completed vault-lightconstruction embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail planview of one of the vault-light glasses. Fig.3 is a detail longitudinalsectionalview showing the arrangement of the improved glasses in theimproved supporting- Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of one of theimproved prism-glasses looking at it from beneath, and Fig. 5 is asectional view of a slightly-modified form of prism-glasses.

In constructing a vault-light in accordance with my present invention Ifirst form a suitable framework of the main longitudinal supporting-bars1 and the transverse spreaderbars 2. The longitudinal bars 1 are ofplate formthat is, without flanges-and have punched or stamped throughthem at proper intervals in a line midway between their top and bottomedges suitable holes 3 of approximately-semicircular shape. The bars orplates 1 may be supported in any suitable manner at their ends, Fig. 1representing the bars supported at one end upon a girder 4.

The spreader-bars 2 are of approximately U-shape cross-section, asclearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the channel of thespreader-bars being presented upwardly to receive cement or othersuitable binding mate- The structure of rectangular openings. to receivethe prismglasses. To prevent relativemovement between the longitudinalbars landspreaderbars 2, I prefer to solder the joints by dipping theframe in a galvanizing-bath, the result of which is the galvanizing ofthe entire frame to protect it and the formation of a rigid jointbetween the frame parts.

55 In said drawings, Figure 1 is a detail plan 7 The preferred form ofprism-glasses which 1 use in my improved vault-light construction isshown in Figs. 2, 3, and 1 of the drawings. This glass is of arch form,as covered by my above-named patent; but in place of a single prism atone end of the glass in the patented construction I now form a pluralityof pendent prisms, all of which project slightly beneath the supportingbase-flanges of the glass.

10 is the tread portion or outer surface of the glass, which ispreferably of rectangular shape.

11 is the rectagular base or supporting flange, and 12, 13, and 14 arethree depending prism portions which project downwardly from the mainbody of the glass within the supporting or base flange. These prismportions 12, 18, and 14 differ in size, length, and degree of angle oftheir reflecting-faces, so as to throw the reflected rays of light atslightlydifferent angles into the chamber to be lighted. Each of theprism portions projects beneath the sup1i orting-flange of the glass.

15 and 16 are integral shoulders arranged parallel with the end portionsof the baseflange 11 in position to engage the transverse or spreaderbars 2 for properly centering the glasses when placed in the frame andpreventing their movement longitudinally of the frame.

Each prism-glass is also formed with locking tongues or shoulders 17,separated from the main body of the glass by grooves or channels 18.These tongues or flan ges17 may extend upon all sides of the glass; butit is particularly important that they be formed upon the sides whichextend parallel with the longitudinal supporting-bars 1, sinceseparation between the glasses and cement is more likely to occur alongthose lines.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, it will be observed that theglasses are placed in the rectangular openings formed by thesupporting-framework, with their base or supporting flanges 11 restingupon the edges of the U- shaped spreader-bars 2, the flanges l5 and 16also engaging the spreader-bars to prevent movement of the glasseslongitudinally of the frame. As the spreader-bars 2 pass through thesupporting-bars 1 midway between the top and bottom edges of thesupporting-bars, it will be observed that although the prism portions12, 13, and 14 of the glasses project beneath their supporting-flange,said prism portions will not project beneath the longitudinal bars ofthe supporting-framework.

When the glasses are in place upon their supporting-frame, the spacesseparating the glasses longitudinally and transversely are filled with asuitable binding material 20, preferably cement. The cement 2O fills inthe channels of the U-shaped spreader-bars2 and the openings through thelongitudinal.

bars 1, thereby securely locking the glasses in place. The formation ofthe cement around the locking tongues or shoulders 17 and into thegrooves 18 prevents the separation of the cement from the glasses, theinterlocking ribs orflanges of the glasses and cementeffeetivelyresisting any tendency to separate laterally. It will of course beunderstood that the eement surrounding the glasses and embedding them inthe supporting-frame is securely packed into place, completely coveringthe upper parts of the framework. The tread portions or outer planesurfaces of the glasses are then rubbed clean with oakum in the usualmanner.

The modified form of prism-glass (shown in Fig. 5) differs from thepreferred form in the provision of four small prism portions 21 22 2324: at one end and a relatively large under surface portion 25 parallelwith the outer tread portion 10 to facilitate the passage of directlight-rays therethrough.

While 1 have shown and described the supporting-framework of myvault-like construction as preferably formed with longitudinal bars ofplate form and transverse spreaderbars of U shaped cross-section andhave claimed this novel preferred structure, I would have it understoodthat I may employ other forms of supportingfra1ncssuch, for instance,with plate-form spreader-bars mounted in plate-form longitudinal bars.

Having thus fully described my invention, the following is what I claimas new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A vault-light glass of arch form constructed with a tread portion,locking tongues or shoulders spaced from the tread portion, a supportingbase portion, and a plurality of prism portions projecting beneath thetread portion, the reflectingfaces of the prism portions extending atdifferent angles with relation to the tread-surface, as setforth.

2. A vault-light glass constructed with a tread portion, a supportingbase portion, and horizontal grooves providing locking tongues orshoulders adapted to interlock with the binding material, such ascement, as set forth.

3. In a vault-light construction the eombination of a series oflongitudinal bars having openings of approximately semicircular shapeformed through them, with a series of transverse spreader bars ofapproximately U- shaped cross-section extending through saidapproximately semicircular openings of the longitudinal bars, glassesmounted upon said framework, and a binding material molded around saidglasses and framework and filling the channels of said spreader-bars andthe openings through said longitudinal bars, substantiall y as setforth.

at. In a vault-light construction the combination of a framework formedof longitudinal IIO to prevent the lateral separation of the bind ingmaterial and glasses, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM LEE CALDWELL. Witnesses:

Cum. WM. GRUELEER, WM. P. HAMMOND.

